Part 4
Maan got up slightly dazed and went to wash room, after taking a cold shower, he felt a bit better and in control of his senses. He looked at time, it was 11 a.m., he usually woke up early and especially in HP, he was up with the birds at 5.
he was about to go out, when he looked around at room, everything was in place, no broken bottle pieces or his half used cigar, she had cleaned everything up. There was a knock at door, he opened, it was amma ji, she brightened on seeing him awake.
He bent to take her blessings, she smiled and put her hand on his head. ''Geet said you are not feeling okay, so we let you sleep but now I was getting worried, no one can rest empty stomach.''
maan,'' I am okay amma ji, I was just a bit tired, but now I am up and really hungry.'' he ignored geet's name as usual.
Amma ji looked at the slight redness in his eyes and thought about geet's sad expressions in the morning, it was not difficult to add everything together but she remained silent because saying anything will not change it. This was geet's choice, now she had to live with it.
Amma ji,'' come on everyone is sitting in the outer courtyard, geet has n't eaten anything as well.''
a slight frown marred maan's forehead at geet's name again but he said nothing. There every one was sitting including people from village. He saw she was sitting at one side surrounded by women, a small smile on her face. She looked up suddenly and their eyes met for a moment. Then, she looked down while he said his greetings in loud voice to everyone in general and sat beside dar ji.
Two women brought break fast for them and maan ate it, geet just took a small bite of the paratha offered to her. Then, some other traditions started. Dar ji put his hand on maan's head in blessing and gave him something packed in boxes, he smiled and took it, after that some other elders gave him blessing....most of the men had gone, only younger men were present.
The women started teasing maan and geet. Maan listened to this while brij and others replied on his behalf. Then, they started some weird ceremony in which maan had to eat fruits which were put in geet's lap, if he lost he will have to put bangles in her hands and if he managed to eat every fruit than she will bind a turbab on his head.
Maan complained that he had just eaten breakfast but no one listened. He was able to eat only half of fruits. He was declared a loser and handed bangles, he took her right hand in his and presses it so that he could put on bangles, geet cried out and snatched her hand back, she shut her eyes tightly. Everyone was staring at them, geet opened her eyes and smiled a teary smile,''i accidebtly burned my right hand so it is paining, she out her left hand forward.
He looked cooly at her and grabbed her left hand and quickly put the bangles on. The atmosphere had gotten slightly awkward, the women staring at them speculatively. Brig angrily at geet, couldnt she have remained quiet, she had to create drams in every situation. He took maan and his friends and went away.
…....................................Night..................................
geet was sitting in Maan's room when meera came, she had come to attend geet's wedding as both dadi ma and dev were out of country. Now, she was handling everythinf from maan's side. She let out a tired breath and slid on the bed.'' I am so tired, I had to do every bit of arrangement in delhi on phone, then call dadi ma and dev, call other relatives on dadi ma's instruction, dont be surprised if you have to redo pheras , dadi ma is super excited, she so wanted to for you two to get married but maan always refused. Now, she is going to give you a superb reception in delhi..'' during her chattering meera looked at geet who was looking at the palm of her right hand. She must be seeing maan's name written on her hand again, this girl was truly mad but she admitted to herself very sweet. ''geet, geeeeet'' when she looked at her, meera continued,''hmm it seems that some one had a very intersting night?? so tell me did he gave any gift to you, I know it is impossible but its MSK you never know.''
geet said nothing.
Meera,''this silence say that you got no gift but I think wedding night gifts are over rated any way. I mean, what could be a bigger present than husband and wife to each other.''
geet still did not say anything.meera tried to cheer her up again.''well, I have to admit it, your love is very powerful, here you coloured your hand red with his name and he put the red sindoor of his name on your forehead.''
she grabbed geet hand and opened it about to comment on the hand lines but her words got stuck, in the centre of her palm where maan's name was written on its place was burnt skin. She looked up at geet horrified but geet said nothing.
The injustice of it made meera see red, how dare maan treat her like this, she will go and tell dar ji right now. Meera was about to leave the room when geet came in front of her and blocked the room.
Meera,''get aside geet, this is really too much.''
geet,'' plz, dont tell anyone, it will just further anger him.''
meera,''i cant tolerate violence geet and I will stand up against it even if you dont want it.''
geet was about to say something when door opened and Maan entered, geet moved awayf rom the door way. He glanced at geet's worried expression, and to meera's angry ones. He strode inside the room and took off his jacket. He looked a bit drunk.
Meera marched back in the room,''you should be ashamed of yourself maan, how can you treat a girl like that, where is your humanity, your sense of honour.''
maan said with derision,''so she told her sob story to you, I was wondering on whom she will tell about my autocracy. Women like her always want every one's sympathy.''
meera,''shut up maan, dont talk about her like that, she is your wife and you hurt her.''
maan glared at meera,''who gave you the authority to speak to me like this.''
meera looked surprised for a second, maan had never spoken to her like this.
Maan, go out of my room and do what you are suppose to do, this is between me and my wife,i dont want your or any one else interference and if you want to go and tell others, then do it. I am not scared of any one.
''
meera,''i dont know how can you stand there and calmly say all this, all the education all your upbringing, did nt it have any effect on you. You..'' she was about to say further but maan grabbed her by arm and took her out of the room and then, slammed the door shut and locked it.Then, he turned toward geet who was watching all this quietly.
He moved toward her, geet unconsciously moved back, then realized what she was doing and stopped moving back, and said,'' you should not have spoken to her so rudely, she is your sister in law.''
maan, ''you should have thought that before telling her everything.'' he was very close to her. His breath started mingling with her.
geet,'' I told her nothing, she saw the burned wound at my hand, she has n't seen the others.''
maan moved her dupatta off her neck where two bite marks were visible, he bent and sucked on one and said,''you should have shown her, it would have created much more trouble for me.''
geet moved her neck to one side giving him more access, unable to say anything. He kissed her neck and then moved up to her face, his kisses leaving a moist trail, yesterday he had been tto rough with her but today his kisses were soft, he kisses her on lips while with his one hand he pulled her body up against his and with other hand opened her braid.
Geet kissed him back, following the lead of his lips. He broke apart from her and impatiently took off her shirt, geet did nt say anything, she let him do anything he wanted and later much later
when he was a deep inside a part of her, she said, ''is this your hatred.''
he pinned her arms down,his movements growing fast and his breath ragged.
Geet,'' your eyes always say one thing and you other, if I am so repulsant for you then why you are with at this moment?''
he angrily put his hand on her mouth shutting her off, but next moment they hit the wave of ecstacy together and geet bit him hard on his hand.
They both lay panting, maan on top of her, his body pressing into her, geet muttered,'' I love you.'' in his ear, he said,'' I hate you.'' and took her body in his arms.
...............................................
Laws of love
….....................................................................................................................................................
Next day geet and meera returned to Delhi with Maan. Everyone came with them to the cars and gave their blessing. Even Brij who rarely talked to Geet put his hand on Geet's head and taya ji even hugged her and kissed her on head.
Meera took the back seat, so geet had to sit with Maan who was driving the car.
….......................................... Delhi.......................................
they reached khaurana mansion at night. Geet was really tired after the long journey as she was not used to travelling. No one was home as dadi ma and dev would be coming back tomorrow. Meera had called her own mother and she was present with few of her friends. Meera did Maan and geet's arti and then, they were allowed to enter. Maan was really impatient but said nothing because of presence of guests.
Geet looked at everything in interest and met with everyone. The dinner was arranged and they freshened up and ate it. Maan was quiet and spoke only if he was asked. Meera was acting like a good hostess and soon geet was chatting with everyone.
After everyone was gone, maan went to his room. Geet took a tour of the house with meera and then, at end went to Maan's room. He was talking to some one on phone. Geet looked curiously at his room. His trophies and books arranged on a rack in one corner, on the wall next to it the whole wall was covered with his pictures. Two large full size portraits and smaller pic frames in between them. She looked at his childhood pictures, most of them were taken in HP.
He finished his call and geet turned to him, she had a smile on her face.''you were a very beautiful toddler.''
maan didn't reply.
Geet,'' I dont have any baby pictures of mine, nobody took them but amma ji say I was best baby in the world, I never cried.'' she added proudly.
Maan ignored her again and started talking to some one on mobile again. Geet was sad for a moment but brightened up again. It was not in her nature to sulk or complain or may be she had become this way as she knew that no one will come to cheer her up or listen to her complain.
There was a knock on door, geet opened the door, it was meera, she took geet to her room. There she handed geet a warm glass of milk and put medication on her burn.
Meera: I hope this doesnt get infected.
Geet: no, it will heal but it will leave a scar.
Meera looked at her serene expression and asked geet curiously,''i have met you many times, lived at your house, I have never seen you angry or complain even when you should do it. And still everyone is rude to you. but you never sulk or stop talking with them and especially in the case of Maan, how can you love him even when he gives you only pain.''
geet did not know what to say. ''my nature is like that I cant remain angry at anyone and as for Maan, well, he is rude and hurt me but so does every one else, so his hatred hurts but my love is strong and any way, I started loving him when we were both were very young.''
meera shocked,''did your family beat you as well?''
geet,''no but sometimes word hurt harder than any beating.'' and thought to herself and there silence hurt thousand times more.
Meera,''so maan ignoring you, doesnt it hurt your self respect?''
geet,''no, in love there is no self respect.''
meera,'' no that is false, geet. A person's self respect is more important than even love. If your husband doesn't love you, then a women can live with it but if he doesn't respect, then even having a relationship is impossible.''
Geet smiled,'' I guess then I am different from every other women.''
meera thought to herself that geet was too nave, she was brought up like a perfect sacrificial lamb but she will not take any advice. She had to help her, her heart ached thinking about the poor girl's plight but the poor girl in question had no idea what she will be facing from now onward. Bearing the burden of one's love will become more difficult as days will pass and she will not be able to cope with it. She had to open her eyes and make geet understand that her and man's relationship was not right..but how....geet needed exposure to people of her own age so she could understand that her thoughts were wrong.
Meera,''geet, now that you have come to delhi, you will restart your studies nah?'' not giving her chance to speak, she continued,''don't worry I will make arrangements. You must be tired I think you should go and sleep and if maan became too over bearing move to room next to his.''
geet said,'' g'night and went to her room.
Maan was already sleeping. Geet changed her clothes and slid in the bed. At deep in the night, she felt his arms encircle her waist but he didn't did anything else and geet slept with a smile on her face thinking he can never ignore me when he is sleep than how is it possible when he is awake? Attitude, this was all just male pride, which was hurt because he was proven wrong. She wondered for a moment that why did those people back out of wedding but then, pushed the thought aside and slept.
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